Climbing toy



g- 8, 1950 F. F. MARSCHALK 2,518,041

CLIMBING TOY Filed Nov. 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Shet 1 F/FffifR/C/f E/V/IRSC/IA Z A,

Aug. 8, 1950 F. F. MARSCHALK CLIMBING TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1944 ly Aw gag clutch element as shown in Patented Aug. 8, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIMBING TOY Frederick F. Marschalk, Augusta, Ga. Application November '7, 1944, ,Serial No. 562,348

7 Claims.

1 It is an object of this invention to produce a climbing toy of simple construction having a minimum of moving operable parts, comprising a body having legs and head in combination with a clutch, a flexible strand of material and a tension member.

Itis also an object of this invention to provide a climbing toy having a body portion, a head portion, an arm portion or projection, and leg portions integral with said body.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a climbing toy having a, body including leg portions integral therewith in which said leg portions are biased toward each other to constitute a clutch adapted to slidingly engage and guide a strand of material therethrough.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be revealed in the detailed description of the specification taken in connection with the drawings which represent illustrative forms of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my, climbing toy showing the same in the position it assumes when the toy is climbing upwardlyon its strand of material.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of my toy indicating the manipulation necessary to lower the toy along the supporting strand.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the toy.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the tension member in extended position.

Figure 6 is a front elevation ofthe toy with the leg members spread apart so that the toy may descend to the lowermost portion of the strand.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1-! of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a transverse section on the line 99 of Figure 3.

- Figure 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure 11 is a detailed perspective view of the the modification removed. I H

In the drawing, the body I' includes a head 2 and legs 3, 3' which are resilient and are biased toward each other and are provided with cooperating clutch features [0 and II. The body I also includes a projection 4 having an aperture 4' adapted to slidingly receive astrand of mate,- rlal 5. The projection 4 is in imitation of exmember 8.

tended arms. I The body of the device is provided with a chamber 8 adapted to receive a tension The tension member 8 is anchored in the head 2 at one end and at its opposite end it is provided with a rin 1 adapted to receive slidingly a portion of the strand 5. The anchored end of the tension member 'is concealed by a plug 9 which extends for a short distance into the "head portion. The tension'member'may comprise a helical spring or a rubber band having aring or eyelet to receive the strand 5.

The clutch features or components on the extrem'ities of the legs 3, 3' face each other and cooperate to slidingly engage the strand as it moves in one direction but grips and holds the strand while the extended tension member lifts the toy along the strand 5.

A pin 6 carried by one of the resilient'legs extends transversely thereof and may extend into a recess in the opposed leg as indicated in leg 3' in Figures 4 and 8. The pin is located intermediate the tension member and the cooperating clutch features [0 and II. v I

The strand of material 5 is threaded or reeved through the aperture 4 around the pin 6 and through the eyelet or ring 1 and then down between the clutch engaging features or components In and I l. i

When it is necessary to reset the strand of material with reference to the toy, the resilient legs 3 and 3' are forced apart by inserting the finger tips of the operator into the recesses l2, l3, l4 and I5. When the legs are thus forced apart, the strand of material may be freely pulled through the toy to bring the toy to the lower end of the strand of material.

The plug 9 may also serve as an anchoring means as well as a concealing means for the upper end of the tension member 8;

In the modification of the clutch features or components, as indicated in Figure 10, it is to be noted that an element Ill having a toothed end I 0 defining a shallow recess 20 substantially equal in depthto one half the thickness of the strand of material cooperatesdirectly withthe clutch feature, component or element.

The clutch element l 0, preferably resilient, is secured to the leg 3' and extends downwardly and toward leg 3 to cooperate therewith to define the 'clutch which engages the strand of material 5.

' portions of the strand, the clutching features Ill and II grip the strand and maintain it in a stationary position while the tension member 8 draws the strand material through aperture 4' around the pin 6 and through the ring 1 to lift the toy upwardly along the strand of material.

Although the toy is not dressed or clothed to represent any particular variety of animals or a doll, it is to be observed that the device lends itself to any suitable ornamentation or dress that may be selected.

The manner and scheme of dress or ornamentation forms no part of my disclosed invention.

It is to be noted generally that the device is very simple in that it does not include any pivoted or hinged parts but, on the contrary, all parts of the body are integral and substantially fixed except that the legs are resilient and movable within limited distances.

The body of the toy may be made of any suitable material, such as wood or any suitable plasticcomposition. -It is merely necessary that the material be possessed of some quality of resiliency whereby the cooperating clutch features or components may be located in opposed relation to each other substantially on the extremities of its legs.

When the device is molded by using a suitable plastic material, the clutch element 10' may be secured in position during the molding process by partly imbedding the element in the plastic material.

Although I have referred to Fig. 10 as a slightly modified form of my invention, only a fragment of the completed invention has been shown on the drawings. It is, of course,contemplated that Figure 10 includes a body I including ahead 2 and complete legs integral with the body and depending therefrom and the body having the longitudinally arranged apertured portion.

It is also contemplated that the element It of Fig. 10 is applicable for securement to one leg of each of Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and that Fig. 10 is'not necessarily a true modification but is merely a clutch equivalent to any clutch elements or clutch features disclosed in my application.

It it also noted that Figs. 1, 2 and 10 do not appear to'disclose finger recesses but the finger recesses H, [-3, l4 and are contemplated for use in Figs. 1, 2 and '10.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

' l. A climbing toy having a body including a head portion and a bifurcated portion defining spaced leg portions biased toward each other and having contacting extremities constituting a clutch, said body having a chambered portion having a tension member therein, said tension member being anchored at one of its ends in the head portion and having itsopposite end provided with an eyelet adapted to receive a strand of material to operate slidingly therethrough, said spaced legs being provided with a transverse pin locatedadjacen't the clutch and spaced a substantial distance from the free end of the tension member, said body having an apertured projection, in combination with said strand of material reeved about said pin and through the eyelet and apertured projection of the tension member and guided in position through the clutch.

2. A climbing toy comprising a body including ahead and a bifurcated portion defining resilient leg portions, said leg portions being biased toward :each other and defining a clutch adapted to receive a strand of material, said body having a longitudinally chambered portion receiving a tension member said member having one of its ends secured to the head portion and its opposite end provided with an eyelet to receive slidingly the strand of material, said legs having a transverse pin located intermediate the eyelet of the tension member and the clutch, said body having an apertured projection through which said strand'extends and is reeved about said pin and extending through the eyelet of the tension member and to a position within the clutch.

3. In a climbing toy comprising a body having a head portion thereon, an apertured projecting arm portion connected thereto and extending from said body and resilient legs, said legs connected to said body and extending therefrom, said legs being biased toward each other and their extremities defining a clutch for a strand of material, in combination with an extensible tension member attached at one of its ends to said head portion, the opposite end of said tension member being provided With a ring portion, said legs also having a transverse pin located intermediate said ring and said clutch said apertured arm, said ring portion and said transverse pin being adapted to receive a strand of material reeved through said arm and said ring portion and around said pin.

4. In a climbing toy comprising a body, a head portion projecting from one end thereof and an apertured projecting portion adjacent said head portion, said apertured portion being connected to said body said body also having resilient legs depending therefrom, the extremities of said legs defining a clutch, one of said legs having an element secured thereto and extending downwardly and toward the other leg to define one element of said clutch,'said legs being biased toward each other.

5. The construction set forth in claim 3 in which the extremities of said leg portions are provided with opposed finger recesses located in the inner adjacent portions of said extremities adjacent said clutch to release said clutch from the embraced strand of material.

6. A climbing toy comprising a body, including a head portion, an apertured projection representing arms and a pair of leg portions having on their extremities a clutch element, in combination with an extensible member, and a strand of material to be tension'ed by said member having free ends, said body having a longitudinal chamber therein receiving said extensible member, said member having one of its ends secured in said chamber to the head portion of said body, the other end of said member terminating in an eyelet, one of said legs carrying a pin extending transversely thereof toward the other leg and located intermediate the chamber and the clutch element, said strand being reeved through the apertured projection, about thepi-n, through the eyelet and then engaging the clutch element to hold or to release one end of the strand depending whether the body is climbing or is stationary. I

'7. A climbing toy comprising a body, said body comprising a head on one end thereof, an apertured arm extending laterally from said body and resilient legs extending from the other end of said body, said leg extremities being biased toward each other into juxtaposition, their extremities constituting a clutch, in combination with an extensible member and a strand of material to be tensioned by saidmember and having free ends,

5 said body having a. chamber therein extending from its legs through said body and terminating in the head thereof, said member being located in said chamber and having one of its ends se-r cured to said head, the other end of said member terminating in an eyelet, one of said legs carrying a pin extending transversely thereof toward the other leg and located intermediate the chamber and the leg extremities, said strand being reeved through said apertured arm, about the pin, through the eyelet and then'through the clutch portions of the legs, to hold or release one The following file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Farnum June 28, 1881 m Number 

